thought about 7mm-08 in rem mod-7.gun store has used but never fired one for sale $200 less than a new one. would use it for brushy wooded area on deer becouse of its shorter lengh than my rem mod 700 30-06.is this better than a .308 win in this type of hunting?one gun writer says it's recoil is a little more than a .243,but if the 7mm uses 140 gr. bullets and .308 uses 150 gr. i thought it would be closer to the .308.not worried about recoil just the muzzle blast and muzzle lift, plus i reload for the 30-06 so have plenty of .30 cal bullets ,is it worth saving 200 dollors on gun then have to buy diffrent cal. bullets as in is it that much better hand have less recoil than a .308 win

No critter you shoot will know the diff between the two....so you buy the used 7-08 and save $200 and apply it towards glass or components...I have each the 308 & 7-08 in game rifles...the 20" M7 will work just fine in the dense cover you hunt...you may not use the '06 as much though.....

If all you hunt is deer in close cover you may just find yourself selling the `06....The M7 in 708 can`t be beat for that;-)

The 7mm-08 would be my version of a 308 Improved.

Tad bit flatter, tad bit less kick, lots of bullets/ammo to pick from, still good for elk.

Flip a coin, though 7mm-08 recoil is certainly a bit more than 243.

+1 on the recoil difference. there is a significant "gap" between a 95-100gr 243 and a 140gr 7/08. not enough to scare a fellow, but you will be able to distinguish between the 2.

I'm a .308 slut but would love to have a 7/08 someday.
I would get the 7/08 and take the $200 dollars and get some 7mm bullets or some really good glass for it.

..........For deer in the wooded areas, either the 7/08 or the 308 would be fine. A successful kill is the goal. Both cartridges are excellent for your purpose. I believe that the savings of an extra $200 in order to get the 7/08 is worth it. But, you have all those 30 caliber bullets. 7/08 or 308? You are going to have to decide on that!

From my own experience with my compact, I have little to no daytime muzzle blast. I don`t hunt in the dark or under very low light conditions and even if I did, any muzzle blast wouldn`t be a concern or a bother to me. My priorities in a lite-weight, quick handling and easy to carry rifle trump any muzzle blast, or any additional noise. Your kill shot only lasts for a split second, On the other hand depending on your hunting style, you can carry a rifle many hours a day for several days on hunts. That`s the beauty of the compacts. They`re great in the wooded areas, open plains, mountains or where-ever you happen to be.

Also trumped, is muzzle lift and stability. A little practice and feel for the rifle will be your best friend and will overcome any muzzle lift and muzzle stability while breathing and aiming for your kill shot.

A 7mm/08 from a 20" barreled, 39 1/2" or so OAL rifle is a great choice for the woods.

If I can master a 16.5" barreled 300 WSM Ruger Frontier compact, you`ll have no problem with a 20" 7mm/08.

The 7/08 is a fine cartridge with ballistics similar to the 7x57,and we all know how much game that cartridge has taken on several continents.I've hunted with 7/08s with 20" barrels and such rifles make a fine choice for deer hunting in wooded areas,and still have a flat enough trajectory to do the job if you get "surprised" in a clearcut or open power line. Good cartridge...you can't go wrong!

7-08 is a great cartridge. A stainless synthetic, 308 Win, open sighted, scoped, rugged rifle such as a Savage 16FSS should be in everyone's closet along with maybe 1K surplus ammo and plenty of soft point stuff of your choosing. 308 is a proven round.

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